Glött Castle

The former Fugger Castle Glött was a moated castle. It is located on the southern edge of the Danube valley in the municipality of Glött, about 15 kilometers south of Dillingen an der Donau, in the district of Dillingen. The castle gave the Fugger-Glött line its name.

In 1537, Anton Fugger von der Lilie bought the village and Glött Castle, located in the Margraviate of Burgau, and from 1550 to 1560, next to the existing castle, had a two-story, three-wing complex with two round corner towers on the north wing, surrounded by a moat, erected. In 1869, Regens Johann Evangelist Wagner acquired the area for 25,000 guilders from Count Fidel Ferdinand von Fugger-Glött (this included, in addition to the representative castle, a solid farm building with stables for horses and cattle, a chicken house, a spacious benefice apartment, and its own house chapel) and opened the St. Joseph's Institution for Cretins there. The Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen took over the care and nursing of the residents. The first superior of the sanatorium and nursing home was a daughter of the previous castle owner, Sr. M. Hildegard von Fugger-Glött, who moved into the building in September 1869 with 10 people in need of care.

The establishment of the institution was criticized primarily for financial reasons. But Regens Wagner countered the critics:

Why does he buy then, if he has no money? you will say. Brothers, the undersigned already has some money, but not enough. And now one must do as was done with most and most glorious works of the Church: Several stand together; then it will work. - Let the state take care of these unfortunates! you say, Brothers! The already heavily burdened state treasuries cannot bear a new burden. If the state is to build, it will in any case be an expensive construction. And the state does not get workers who work out of holy love and for free, like the good Franciscan Sisters. There are simply things that belong to Christian charity and that only thrive under its care.

Regens Wagner was not disappointed. He received over 40,000 guilders in donations, and King Ludwig II of Bavaria donated the equally beneficial and encouraging contribution of 800 guilders.

From 1932 to 1934, the east and west wings were extended to the south. Furthermore, a south wing was added as a fourth wing. During 1940, the grey buses came several times to pick up disabled people who never returned. From January 1941 until after the end of the war, the castle was also used as a military hospital.

From 1979 to 1981, further alterations took place. Connecting buildings were added from the south wing to the two round corner towers, and various farm buildings were demolished.

The castle is owned by the Regens-Wagner-Institut Dillingen and is not accessible to the public. Currently, about 118 residents live in the charitable institution of the Regens-Wagner-Stiftung Glött.

From July 14 to 18, 2011, 450 years of Glött Castle and 300 years of Fugger von Glött were celebrated.